Charles Band
Charles Robert Band is a director, writer, and producer of horror films. His most famous films are those in the Puppet Master franchise, made by his Full Moon Features company. Biography Starting in the seventies, Band formed Charles Band Productions. Dissatisfied with distributors' handling of his films, Band created Empire Pictures in the early eighties. Through Empire, he could produce and distribute his films ensuring proper distribution and return on profits. Empire entered the video market with Wizard Video during this time, which also released films by others in addition to Empire product. At the height of its run, Empire produced 12 theatrical and 12 direct to video films a year. Wizard would also produce two games for the Atari 2600 in 1982: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween both based on the films of the same names and both quite controversial at the time for the levels of violence. Citing the fall of the Italian lira, the Rome based Empire closed its doors in the late eighties and Band returned to the States. There he formed Full Moon Productions which was quickly changed to Full Moon Entertainment and later became Full Moon Studios and Full Moon Features before settling on the current Full Moon Pictures. During this time, Band produced exclusively with Paramount Home Video before parting ways with that company in 1994. Since then, Full Moon has been an independent company, producing and distributing solely for the home market. Notable side companies have included Moonbeam Entertainment, Filmonsters, Action Xtreme and Pulsepounders all of which produced films aimed at kids and tweens as well as Torchlight Entertainment and Surrender Cinema which produced soft core films for the adult market. In addition, Monster Island Entertainment produced man in a rubber suit monster movies, Alchemy Entertainment later Big City Pictures created urban horror, and Pulp Fantasy Productions specialized in non Full Moon type horror. For a short time in the early 2000s, Full Moon became Shadow Entertainment when Band felt the company's product had strayed too far from the brand that he had created. During this time, many of the films were produced by J. R. Bookwalter's Tempe Entertainment. Since 2004, Band has taken a more active hand in the company, producing and directing almost every film released. Also in 2004, the Wizard Video line was reintroduced. One of the few non-horror films he worked on was the Prehysteria trilogy, which were made by his family-oriented company Moonbeam Entertainment. Full Moon Productions Puppet Master(1989) Shadowzone (1989) The Pit and the Pendulum (1990) Crash and Burn (1990) (1990) Subspecies1990) Meridian: Kiss of the Beast(1990) Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge (1991) Netherworld (1991) Trancers II (1991) Demonic Toys (1991) Dollman (1991) Seedpeople (1992) Bad Channels (1992) Doctor Mordrid (1992) Trancers III (1992) Dollman vs. Demonic Toys (1993) Puppet Master 4 (1993) Bloodstone: Subspecies II (1993) Bloodlust: Subspecies III (1993) Mandroid (1993) Robot Wars (1993) Trancers 4: Jack Of Swords (1993) Trancers 5: Sudden Deth (1994) Invisible: The Chronicles Of Benjamin Knight (1994) Dark Angel: The Ascent (1994) Shrunken Heads (1994) Oblivion (1994) Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter (1994) Lurking Fear (1994) Castle Freak (1995) Backlash: Oblivion 2 (1995) Vampire Journals (1997) Hideous! (1997) The Creeps (1997) Shrieker (1998) Talisman (1998) Curse of the Puppet Master (1998) Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm (1998) Witchouse (1999) Blood Dolls (1999) Retro Puppet Master (1999) Totem (1999) The Dead Hate the Living! (1999) Witchouse 2: Blood Coven (2000) Horror Vision (2000) Prison Of The Dead (2000) Voodoo Academy (2000) Witchouse 3: Demon Fire (2001) Vengeance Of The Dead (2001) Trancers 6 (2002) Bleed (2002) Speck (2002) Hell Asylum (2002) Jigsaw (2002) Deathbed (2002) Cut Throat (2002) Groom Lake (2003) Birthrite (2003) Delta Delta Die (2003) Dark Walker (2003) Puppet Master: The Legacy (2004) Dr. Moreau's House Of Pain (2004) Horrific (2004) Tomb Of Terror (2004) Urban Evil (2004) When Puppets and Dolls Attack! (2004) Aliens Gone Wild! (2004) Monsters Gone Wild! (2004) Cinemaker (2005) The Gingerdead Man (2005) Doll Graveyard (2005) Petrified (2006) Decadent Evil (2006) Evil Bong (2007) Decadent Evil II (2007) Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust (2008) Dead Man's Hand (2008) Skull Heads (2009) Category:Actual People Category:Film Directors